Well around lunch-time I was standing at the kitchen sink and I just happened to glance out the window as I do whenever I stand at the sink. Usually I peer through the trees to catch a glance of the ice shacks on the frozen lake, or see if anybody is driving out on the ice. Not this time... God let me see an eagle fly right towards our house and land in a nearby tree. I watched it for a moment. It squawked (or whatever eagles do) and a second eagle came flying to the tree and landed. Now this may not seem like a huge deal to you, but to this Texas gal it was! We don't exactly have a surplus population of eagles in the Lone Star state so I love seeing them! And think about the odds... what are the odds that of the 3 or so times I look out that window each day, I would see an eagle at just that instant. Chance? I think not.
This may seem like such a small thing, but it's really not. God is not a God of chances. He took the time to give me that little blessing because he knew I needed it. I just stopped for a moment in the business of the day and thanked the Lord for this token for good that He gave to me.
I'll never forget a sermon I heard in college on Psalm 86:17 about a token for good. It has stuck with me all these years and holds a special place in my heart.
Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
The word token has the idea of a signal, a flag or a beacon that appears miraculously or suddenly. In this Psalm, as with many of the Psalms, David is crying to God for help against his enemies. In the very last verse he asks God for this token for good so his enemies will see evidence that God is with him. I believe the Lord gave it to him!
Our God is a personal God and even though we don't have throngs of enemies like David, we do have an adversary in Satan. His powers are constantly fighting us and trying to bring us down, discouraging us from faithfulness. God knows our hearts and he knows we are human! So he will give us a little something to brighten our day... that little flag or signal that miraculously shows up and says "God loves you, be of good cheer". Guess what else? You can pray for that token! I believe God wants us to pray for a token so he can give it to us... because he loves us. Just two Psalms earlier He gives this promise...
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
I wonder how often I've missed a token because I'm caught up in my own little world. Sad to think about, but I'm sure it's happened. May we all see the Lord in the little things and thank him for showing us a token for good.
2 comments:
"May we see the Lord in the little things.." Amen, Amanda! Thanks for the reminder. :)
Phew. I anticipated with way your morning was going, that the eagle was going to swoop down and fly off with one of the kids. That would have been a disaster. Like an Oregon Trail for iPhone disaster. Although it would have ended the inter-sibling fighting very quickly.
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